Cities within that range include Albuquerque, New Mexico Denver, Colorado Nairobi, Kenya Lima, Peru and Mexico City. Neumayr, a medical doctor practicing in Lienz, Austria, was part of the team that designed the Austrian Moderate Altitude Study 2000 (AMAS-2000) to determine if hiking at a moderately high altitude might be any different from hiking at low altitude.īetween 5,000 and 8,000 feet above sea level is considered moderate altitude. People with metabolic syndrome are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of characteristics, including abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and triglycerides, high blood sugar and elevated blood pressure. Guenther Neumayr told Reuters Health in an email. “The data of the AMAS-2000 study proved that daily hiking for hours at any altitude provides cardiovascular benefits and represents an excellent therapeutic opportunity for physical and mental regeneration even for individuals with a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors,” Dr. Symptoms were inconsistently related to dust concentrations in the personal breathing zone.NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Just three weeks of exercise and a healthy diet produced positive changes in middle-aged men with a cluster of heart risk factors known as metabolic syndrome, according to a new study from Austria.Īmong two groups of men sent on a hiking vacation, one at sea level and the other at just over 5,500 feet altitude, benefits were about the same and no negatives were seen, suggesting that exercising in the thinner air at altitude is neither better nor riskier for health, the researchers say. Conclusions-The FEV1 and FVC were impaired in smokers and those exposed to high dust concentrations in the personal breathing zone. On regression analysis, impairment of ventilatory function (FEV1, FVC) was predicted by smoking, male sex, age, not working in the weaving shed, not being white, and personal dust concentrations. Non-specific chest tightness was predicted by low dust concentrations and persistent cough by high dust concentrations. There was a strong correlation (r=0.94, p<0.0001) between pd1 and pd2. The corresponding value for total dust with large fibres lifted off the filter paper (pd2) was 1.55 mg/m3. Mean total dust concentration (pd1) in the personal breathing zone was 1.98 mg/m3. Results-The FEV1 and FVC were reduced in workers with respiratory symptoms (non-specific chest tightness, shortness of breath, persistent cough, and wheezing) as well as in preparation room workers, current and former smokers, Asians, those working with predominantly cotton fibre (>50% cotton) and starch size. Dust concentrations and ventilatory tests were analysed statistically with the Student's t test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and forward step regression for relations with symptoms and environmental factors. A representative sample of workers from each occupational group underwent dust sampling in their personal breathing zone. Ventilatory function tests, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were performed on each person. Methods-Each person was given a respiratory symptom questionnaire (modified Medical Research Council, UK, questionnaire on respiratory diseases). However, this occupational group has not been extensively studied. Weaving room dust is considered to be less harmful than that encountered in the cardroom or spinning room and weavers are generally thought to have less respiratory disability than carders or spinners. Background-To report findings on ventilatory function and estimations of concentrations of personal breathing zone dust in Lancashire textile weavers.

Breathing zone concentration